Roses and Trips Down Memory Lane
by Stargate-Lover-Steph
Summary: A special Valentine's Day fic to celebrate the special day of love 2019.


Boyd looked around the empty warehouse, the walls all but crumbling away as the wind and rain battered the building remains. He had read somewhere, probably some bloody magazine in the doctors or dentists waiting room, that recreating the moment or place you met your significant other was romantic. He wasn't sure how that worked for him and Frankie, but hey, he would give it a go. The original build he had met Frankie in all them years ago was now long gone, a brand new set of flats and luxury apartments standing in its place. This was the closest he could find that near enough matched the same place they had met. The place he had first laid eyes on her and realised, married or not he was going to make her his.

As he drove back home he prayed that she would like his surprise. He had told her they were going out, he just hadn't said where. Her car was parked on his driveway when he arrived home, so she was at least finished work. Standing on the hallway he shouted for her, listening to see where she was. A muffled voice came from their bedroom so he headed upstairs to find her.

"Why in god's name am I wrapping up like I'm heading to the Antarctic?" Frankie asked Boyd as she pulled on her sweater.

"Because I'm taking you out, and it's cold and raining." Like that explanation was the most logical thing in the world.

"Again with the why? Where the hell are you taking me that needs me to look like I need to go on a crash diet?" Frankie sitting in the bed so she could pull on her pink boots.

When Boyd saw her choice in footwear he intervened.

"Maybe you should put something else on your feet, it's raining quite heavy out there." Seeing her look down at her beloved pink high top converse boots.

"What do you suggest then? Wellies?" Now glaring at Boyd as she pulled her boots off.

He looked at Frankie and considered his answer carefully, yes wellies would be better but he knew if he said yes she wouldn't come out.

"Bring them with you, but put some trainers or boots on first." Smiling as he tries his best to keep things cryptic.

"I am tempted to tell you to sod off. This better be worth it, Boyd." Frankie pulling on a pair of trainers but picking her converse up before standing up.

"You ready to go?" Boyd asked as he looked Frankie up and down.

"I'm dressed, but I'm not sure I'm ready for whatever you have planned." Seeing Boyd smile at her answer.

"Come on then, let's go." Boyd leading the way out the bedroom and down the stairs.

The rain was easing as Boyd drove through the city, Frankie looking around to see if she could guess where she was going. When Boyd pulled into the disused warehouse grounds he could feel Frankie's eyes boring into the side of his head. When he parked the car up and got out Frankie just sat still. Boyd walked around the car and opened the passenger door, holding his hand out to Frankie. Frankie looked at his hand then looked up at his face, partly illuminated but the interior light that had come on when he opened the door.

"You have got to be kidding, right?" Frankie just staring at him disbelievingly.

"Nope, come on, just go with it." Frankie still not moving out the car. "Frankie, please," Boyd said, seeing Frankie sigh as he said please.

Frankie took his hand and got of out the car, her feet splashing in a puddle. She glared at him but he ignored her, taking a tighter grip of her hand as he led her inside the warehouse. Once in the warehouse, Boyd guided her to the far corner, the missing corrugated wall giving them a view of the river. Tuning to face Frankie he saw she was hunched against the wind, the rain at least having stopped for the moment.

"What the hell are we doing here, Boyd? It's cold, wet, and windy as hell, not to mention muddy." Her feet squelching in the sodden ground.

"Kind of reminds you of something doesn't it." Hoping Frankie would follow his train of thought.

Frankie just looked at him like he was mad, her mind ticking over what he could be on about. She looked around the building, a last-ditch attempt at trying to work it out.

"Add some floodlights." Giving her a clue to see if she could figure it out.

"Floodlights. Why would anyone want to add floodlights to a derelict, oh, now I get it. This isn't the right place though." Now working out what he was on about.

"Well no, that's a bunch of flats now. This was the closest I could find that was similar. You remember that day?" Seeing Frankie give him the look that was very close to questioning his sanity.

"How could I forget my first crime every scene. Cold, wet, muddy, windy as hell, with some jumped up detective sergeant who thought he was god breathing down my neck seeing if I knew what I was doing." Frankie stuffing her hands in her pocket to try and keep them warm as she spoke.

"He wasn't that bad was he?" Boyd stepping closer to Frankie to try shielding her from the wind.

"He was so arrogant, thinking he knew it all and I was the newbie who didn't have a clue. I showed him though, put him in his place." Smirking as she stepped closer to Boyd and looked up at him.

"And you haven't changed one bit have you. You still put me in my place, call me out when I'm wrong, show me you are definitely up to the job at hand. I've never doubted you, Frankie, even back then." Sliding his arms around Frankie's waist so she was tucked against his chest, his body blocking out the wind.

"I never thought back then this would be how we'd end up." Cuddling up closer to Boyd but still looking up at him.

"What, stood in some dark, disused, abandoned, warehouse reminiscing over the past?" Laughing a little as Frankie just shook her head.

"Something like that. I don't know, I just thought I was some passing fancy, something to fill your time in with because you were bored at home. I didn't expect to fall for you back then, for it to bother me so much when you dropped me and went back to Jenny." Her head dropping so he couldn't make out her face.

"I didn't take any pleasure in doing that Frankie, you know that. I didn't want to hurt you, I just, I thought I was doing the right thing, by all of us." Knowing he had hurt Frankie when he had ended their affair, more so when he had got back in touch with her months later asking for her help.

She had helped him anyway, helped save his career and welcomed him back into her life, and back into her bed. Since then they had been on and off, casual sex that always had an undercurrent that could possibly lead to more. When Jenny had left him they had continued sleeping together, even though by then she was part of the CCU and she indirectly reported to him. They both knew she was part of the reason Jenny had left him, her insecurities over his first affair with Frankie still being raw. After a couple of years working together they gave up the pretence it was just sex, both knowing it was more than that, had been for a long time.

"Frankie, let's get the hell out of here." Giving Frankie a quick squeeze before letting her go and stepping away.

"Please tell me you're now taking me somewhere romantic, and warm." Frankie linking his arm as they walked towards the car.

"This was romantic, a trip down memory lane to when we first met." Bracing himself as Frankie thumped him.

"Right now, I don't know if I want to kiss you or push you off tower bridge." Frankie attempting to move closer to Boyd for warmth.

"Can I pick?" Earning himself an elbow to the ribs.

Holding the car door open he waited for Frankie to get in and then closed it, moving around to get in the car out the cold. Frankie was sat still huddled up as he drove back into the city, the heating on full to warm her up. When he pulled up outside the tiny pub he heard Frankie groan, knowing she knew exactly where they were.

"Surprise." He said sheepishly as he took his seatbelt off.

"If you've booked a room I swear I'm going home, Boyd." Frankie seeing him give her that full-blown smile that he knew she could never resist.

"Fine, as long as you feed me and warm me up, I'm still bloody freezing." Still grumbling as she got out of the car.

Taking her hand he led her to the boot and took a bag out it, smiling when she shook her head.

"What? It's Valentine's Day and I came prepared. Let's get inside before you get any colder." Taking her hand and leading her into the pub.

Frankie stood beside Boyd as he gave his name and flashed his bank card, watching as he was handed a set of keys to a room. They both knew the way up to the rooms, Frankie leading the way. They stopped outside room three, the very same room they had stopped in back in the beginning. Boyd slotted the key in and turned it, the door opening into the room. He let Frankie go ahead of him, wanting to see and hear her when she saw inside the room. He closed the door and watched as she stepped further into the room, saw her flick the light on and take in the bed, with red flower petals on it. Beside the bed, the bottle of chilled bubbly in the bucket, the bunch of Lillies sat on the dresser, and finally, the card sat beside the small blue box on the bedside cabinet.

"Oh god." Frankie sucking in a breath as she saw the small blue box.

Boyd moved passed her and picked up the card and the box, walking back to her as she stood with her coat still buttoned up. He stopped in front of her, saw her eyes dart from the card to the ring, to the box, then up at his face. Boyd swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he tried to swallow. He held out the box to her and she was surprised to see a slight tremor to his hand. Frankie reached out and took the box, seeing her own hand shaking just as much as his. Flipping the lid open she gasped as she took in the ring, it was not what she was expecting at all. She slowly let out the breath she had been holding, looking up at Boyd with as she slowly started to smile.

"You like it?" Seeing her smile grow as she lifted the ring out the box to examine it properly.

"You do know you just scared the fucking life out of me don't you?" Turning the ring so she could see the engraving on it.

"How? It's only a ring. Oh, you thought it was something else. Sorry, in my defence they both come in a ring box. You didn't answer my question before, do you like it?" Boyd now getting why she was nervous.

"It's beautiful and practical." Running her finger over the words on the inside.

"I know you don't do big and flash anyway, and it had to be able to stay on under a pair of gloves. I have to admit I had no idea when I picked it, the lady in the shop helped me. She said the curve thing on the front represents," "Infinity." Frankie interrupting him. "Yeah that. She asked if I wanted both our names on but I said no. I did get the inside engraved though." Boyd looking at the words love you forever and the capital P on the inside of the ring.

"It's your job to put it on then." Frankie holding the ring out to Boyd for him to take.

Boyd took the ring and held it out, taking hold of Frankie's hand as he rested the ring on the tip of her finger.

"Look at me, Frankie." Seeing her look up at him when he asked. "I know neither of us is into the whole marriage thing, so instead how about I say I love you, and I'll stand beside you forever." Sliding the ring fully on to her finger as Frankie's eyes went all misty and she blinked back the tears.

"It's funny you should say that because I got you this." Using her right hand to dig in her coat pocket and pull out a red ring box.

Now it was Boyd's turn to become speechless, letting go of Frankie's left hand and taking the red ring box. Frankie wiped the tears away from her eyes as she watched him open the box, his face lighting up with a smile before he started laughing.

"Great minds." Lifting the silver band with the gold infinity sign on the top out the box.

Boyd chucked the box on the bed and swirled the ring between his fingers, reading the engraving on the inside. Forever and Always followed by a capital F, similar but not quite the same as the inside of hers.

"Your turn." Holding the ring out to Frankie so she could return the favour.

Frankie took the ring and did the same to him as he had done to her, the ring resting on the top of his finger.

"You are right, we don't do marriage, but we can do forever and always. I love you, Peter." Sliding the ring onto his finger as tears again gathered in her eyes.

"I love you too, Frances. Never ever forgot that." Leaning his head down so he could kiss her.

The stood in the middle of the room, the room they had first stopped in nearly twenty years before and kissed. This time the kiss was slower, deeper, more intimate. This was not a kiss fueled by need and sex, but a kiss routed in love, understanding, and respect. They had come along way since that first night he had brought her to the very room they were stood in and had wild sex with each other.

"Come on, let's go get some food. I need to keep you feed up for what I have planned later." Body's hand slipping down Frankie's back until he cupped her arse.

"Who said the romance was dead." Thumping Boyd's arm as she stepped back. "Now feed me before I wither away to nothing." Taking Boyds left hand in hers and running her thumb over his ring finger.

They had been together over many a valentines day, but this had been the first either had made a conscious effort to buy the other gifts, gifts that would stay with them for many years to come.


End file.
